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IN ACTION: Films like District 9 will benefit in Brics deal.

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LAST week saw the world's leading movie producers, studios, production facilities and film commissions descend on Los Angeles to explore the role of Brics nations in the highly competitive multi-billion dollar world of the movie business.

Activities revolved around the annual Association of Film Commissioners' Locations Expo, which this year partnered with the Variety Bric Summit.

The summit and expo presented an important opportunity for South Africa's role-players to focus global attention, falling on the Brics alliance, specifically on our R12-billion film industry.

The confidence of SA's film industry in the summit is no doubt in part grounded in the fact that comparing the size of entire Brics economies is different to comparing the film sectors within those economies. Indeed, the latter comparison is where SA excels among all territories, Brics or not.

SA continues to attract global attention and spend on the world stage; its cost base, expertise, non-unionised crew, locations, breadth of world-class expertise and substantial financial incentives make SA a near irresistible offering which is on the brink of showing further innovation thanks to the Brics attention.

According to a South African source at the summit, international financiers are creating a private Brics film investment and funding vehicle with several side meetings being held in this regard.

A different source also notes that one province is set to announce South Africa's first provincial financial film incentive within the next six to 12 months.

SA's strong presence at the expo and summit included The National Film and Video Foundation, various film commissions and film offices, producers and production facilities all vying for lucrative global production spend.

- www.thehomeofnation.com